Weekend Box Office Report: October 16-18, 2015

Family-friendly frights were the main draw this weekend, putting GOOSEBUMPS in the top spot at the box office with an estimated $23.5 million!

The big-screen adaptation of R.L. Stine's popular horror book series features Jack Black as the author, giving the actor his best live-action leading man opening since NACHO LIBRE earned $28.3 million in 2006 (not counting his co-starring part in 2008's TROPIC THUNDER, which debuted to $25.8 million).

It certainly performed better than GULLIVER'S TRAVELS, Black's previous collaboration with GOOSEBUMPS director Rob Letterman, which opened with a dismal $6.3 million in 2010. The PG-rated spookshow came with a reported cost of $58 million and scored decent reviews (71% on Rotten Tomatoes) and audience response ('A' CinemaScore).

Meanwhile on the red planet, THE MARTIAN shifted to second place with $21.5 million after two weekends at #1. Matt Damon and director Ridley Scott's space survival story has also passed $300 million worldwide.

Opening in third place was the Tom Hanks Cold War thriller BRIDGE OF SPIES with $15.3 million. The fact-based espionage tale is filmmaker Steven Spielberg's first release since 2012's LINCOLN, which went on to an impressive domestic total of $182.2 million.

Although it had the lowest opening of the director's four collaborations with Hanks, the $40 million BRIDGE OF SPIES received solid critical reactions (92% on Rotten Tomatoes) and an 'A' CinemaScore from moviegoers.

The new Gothic romance CRIMSON PEAK had to settle for a fourth place opening with $12.8 million. Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro's R-rated ghost story cost a reported $55 million but had his weakest opening since the killer insect movie MIMIC started with $7.8 million back in 1997.

Adam Sandler's animated monster mash HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2 was in fifth with $12.2 million and has collected $267 million worldwide after a month in theaters. The $150 million fantasy PAN dropped to sixth with $5.8 million, a 61% plunge from its opening last weekend.